Quantum features of correlated optical modes define a major aspect of the nonclassicality in quantized radiation fields. However, the phase-sensitive detection of a two-mode light field is restricted to interferometric setups and local intensity measurements. Even the full reconstruction of the quantum state of a single radiation mode relies on such detection layouts and the preparation of a well-defined reference light field. In this work, we establish the notion of the essential quantum correlations of two-mode light fields. It refers to those quantum correlations which are measurable by a given device, i.e., the accessible part of a nonclassical Glauber-Sudarshan phase-space distribution, which does not depend on a global phase. Assuming a simple four-port interferometer and photon-number-resolving detectors, we derive the reconstruction method and nonclassicality criteria based on the Laplace-transformed moment-generating function of the essential quasiprobability. With this technique, we demonstrate that the essential quantum correlations of a polarization tomography scheme are observable even if the detectors are imperfect and cannot truly resolve the photon statistics.
Quantum features of correlated optical modes define a major aspect of the nonclassicality in quantized radiation fields. However, the phase-sensitive detection of a two-mode light field is restricted to interferometric setups and local intensity measurements. Even the full reconstruction of the quantum state of a single radiation mode relies on such detection layouts and the preparation of a well-defined reference light field. In this work, we establish the notion of the essential quantum correlations of two-mode light fields. It refers to those quantum correlations which are measurable by a given device, i.e., the accessible part of a nonclassical Glauber-Sudarshan phase-space distribution, which does not depend on a global phase. Assuming a simple four-port interferometer and photon-number-resolving detectors, we derive the reconstruction method and nonclassicality criteria based on the Laplace-transformed moment-generating function of the essential quasiprobability. With this technique, we demonstrate that the essential quantum correlations of a polarization tomography scheme are observable even if the detectors are imperfect and cannot truly resolve the photon statistics.
Quantum features of correlated optical modes define a major aspect of the nonclassicality in quantized radiation fields. However, the phase-sensitive detection of a two-mode light field is restricted to interferometric setups and local intensity measurements. Even the full reconstruction of the quantum state of a single radiation mode relies on such detection layouts and the preparation of a well-defined reference light field. In this work, we establish the notion of the essential quantum correlations of two-mode light fields. It refers to those quantum correlations which are measurable by a given device, i.e., the accessible part of a nonclassical Glauber-Sudarshan phase-space distribution, which does not depend on a global phase. Assuming a simple four-port interferometer and photon-number-resolving detectors, we derive the reconstruction method and nonclassicality criteria based on the Laplace-transformed moment-generating function of the essential quasiprobability. With this technique, we demonstrate that the essential quantum correlations of a polarization tomography scheme are observable even if the detectors are imperfect and cannot truly resolve the photon statistics.
The representation of quantum states via phase-space functions constitutes an intuitive technique to characterize light. However, the reconstruction of such distributions is challenging as it demands specific types of detectors and detailed models thereof to account for their particular properties and imperfections. To overcome these obstacles, we derive and implement a measurement scheme that enables a reconstruction of phase-space distributions for arbitrary states whose functionality does not depend on the knowledge of the detectors, thus defining the notion of detector-agnostic phase-space distributions. Our theory presents a generalization of well-known phase-space quasiprobability distributions, such as the Wigner function. We implement our measurement protocol, using state-of-the-art transition-edge sensors without performing a detector characterization. Based on our approach, we reveal the characteristic features of heralded single- and two-photon states in phase space and certify their nonclassicality with high statistical significance.
Regular quasiprobabilities are introduced for the aim of characterizing quantum correlations of multimode radiation fields. Negativities of these quantum-correlation quasiprobabilities are necessary and sufficient for any quantum correlation encoded in the multimode Glauber-Sudarshan P function. The strength of the method is demonstrated for a two-mode, phase-randomized, squeezed-vacuum state. It has no entanglement, no quantum discord, a positive Wigner function, and a classical reduced single-mode representation. Our method clearly visualizes the quantum correlations of this state.
One of the most relevant problems in the quantum theory is the question whether the appropriate state of the system can be described within a classical theory. The famous examples of nonclassical states are Schrodinger-cats states or entanglement states. In spite of many practical applications of entanglement as a special kind of nonclassicality (like quantum teleportation [1], dense coding [2], or implementation of super-fast [3] and fast algorithms [4]), we still have difficulties with describing and specifying it. One cannot find such an operational optimal method, which would allow us to maximally use the technological and scientific potential arising from the adaptation properties of quantum correlations. Thus, my thesis is focused on giving a proposal of a theoretical recipe for constructing experimentally achievable procedures for the study of quantum correlations. In my thesis I have focused on quantum correlations described in terms of nonclassicality (quantumness) and specific kind of it,i.e., entanglement. The nonclassicality definition, used by me in the thesis, is based on the Glauber-Sudarshan function (P -function). One can assume, that a state is nonclassical, if its P -function is negative or more singular than Dirac’s delta [5]. As follows, the state is nonclassical, when its P -function cannot be treated as a “real” probabilistic distribution. Based on specific properties of the P -function, Agarwal and Tara [6], as well as, Shchukin, Richter and Vogel [7, 8] proposed nonclassicality and entanglement [9] criteria based on matrices of moments of annihilation and creation operators. The operational procedures for analyzing nonclassicality and an efficient method for measuring such moments developed by Shchukin and Vogel [10] creates basis for my thesis. It can be seen that the nonclassicality criteria based on matrices of moments offer an effective way of deriving specific inequalities, which might be useful in the verification of nonclassicality of particular states generated in experiments. Therefore, criteria constructed based on the above definition of nonclassicality can be used to find practical and effective methods of generating and testing nonclassicality and, therefore, also quantum entanglement of optical fields. The results presented in my thesis can be divided into three main groups: 1. Finding operational and practical criteria to classify states in terms of nonclassicality and entanglement based on fundamental classical inequalities like Cauchy-Schwarz inequality. It was also shown how some known entanglement inequalities can be derived as nonclassicality inequalities or as sums of more than one inequality [Bartkowiak2010a]. 2. Describing properties and behaviour of quantum correlations for different optical fields (e.g. for multiand single-mode systems, for interacting and noninteracting modes). In particular, general occurrence of sudden vanishing of nonclassicality, which can be observed not only for twoor multimode but also for single-mode fields, was proven [Bartkowiak2011]. 3. Finding the methods of generating and testing of quantum correlations, which would be practical and easy to implement with available resources in both linear and nonlinear optics.
General quasiprobabilities are introduced to visualize time-dependent quantum correlations of light in phase space. They are based on the generalization of the Glauber-Sudarshan P function to a time-dependent P functional [W. Vogel, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 013605 (2008)], which fully describes temporal correlations of radiation fields on the basis of continuous phase-space distributions. This approach is nontrivial, as the P functional itself is highly singular for many quantum states and nonlinear processes. In general, it yields neither a well-behaved nor an experimentally accessible description of quantum stochastic processes. Our regularized version of this multitime-dependent quasiprobability is a smooth function and applies to stronger divergences compared to the single-time and multimode scenario. The technique is used to characterize an optical parametric process with frequency mismatch and a strongly nonlinear evolution of the quantized center-of-mass motion of a trapped ion. A measurement scheme, together with a sampling approach, is provided which yields direct experimental access to the regularized P functional from measured data.
Numerous nonclassicality criteria based on the probabilities of experimental photocount or theoretical photon-number distributions are derived using several approaches. Relations among the derived criteria are revealed and the fundamental criteria are identified. They are grouped into parametric systems that allow the analysis of the nonclassicality from different points of view (``local'' nonclassicality, pairwise character of photon correlations, etc.). Considering their structure, the criteria may be divided into groups that differ in the power to resolve the nonclassicality. Quantification of the nonclassicality using the Lee nonclassicality depth and the nonclassicality counting parameter is discussed. The number of field modes used is identified as an important parameter that may cause unexpected results. An appropriate linear transformation of a photocount (photon-number) distribution into its s-ordered form, needed for the determination of the nonclassicality depth, is derived. For comparison, the derived criteria are applied both to an experimental photocount histogram of a twin beam and the reconstructed photon-number distributions with different levels of the noise.